A Tu-22M3 crashes over Russia. Did Ukraine shoot down the bomber? Moscow gives a different background, while Kiev is having fun.
Stavropol – Russia has already suffered some painful losses during the Ukraine war. Such as the “Moskva”, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, which sank a year ago. Vladimir Putin is probably still mourning the guided missile cruiser, while the Kremlin boss has been burning thousands of compatriots on the front for more than two years so as not to have to give up his imperialist goals.
But for him, people also seem to be easier to replace than the giants of the sea or the sky. The images currently circulating on the Internet are likely to arouse more emotions in Putin.
Russian bomber crashes: Video shows last seconds of Tu-22M3
A somewhat shaky video shows a plane spinning toward the earth against a cloudy sky, rotating several times around its own axis. Flames burst from the stern, a plume of smoke rose and grew longer and longer. The impact on the ground cannot be seen, and there is no explosion after the crashing machine disappears behind a hill.
But it should be clear to every observer: This giant bird, which is said to be a Tupolev Tu-22M3, is no longer of any use. As is often the case in the Ukraine war, there are two perspectives on the background to the crash: the Russian and the Ukrainian.
Video: Ukraine destroys Russian aircraft factory far across the border
Tu-22M3 crashes over Russia: at least one pilot is killed
According to the
Tass
news agency , the Defense Ministry in Moscow referred to technical reasons and emphasized that the supersonic bomber was on the way back to its home airport in the North Caucasus region of Stavropol. There was no ammunition on board and nothing and no one was hurt on the ground.
However, at least one fatality has been reported, as the regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov announced via Telegram. Accordingly, one of the four pilots died. Two others were found alive and taken to hospital. Their lives are not in danger. The fourth one was initially still being sought. The pilots are said to have previously saved themselves from the aircraft, which was unable to maneuver, using the ejector seat.
Russia loses Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber: Ukraine claims shot down
Meanwhile, Kiev claims to have shot down the Tu-22M3. Apparently hundreds of kilometers behind enemy lines. Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Telegram: “For the first time, the Air Force's anti-aircraft missile units, in cooperation with the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, destroyed a long-range strategic bomber Tu-22M3, the carrier of Kh-22 cruise missiles , which Russian terrorists use to attack peaceful Ukrainian cities.”
In addition, 29 air targets were destroyed, including 14 Shahed drones and two Kh-22 cruise missiles. From the point of view of the country, which was badly hit by Russia's invasion, what looms over everything is the destruction of the bomber, which is known in NATO as the “Backfire”, is almost 40 meters long and can reach speeds of up to 2000 km/h.
According to the militarytoday
portal,
more than 250 Tu-22M3 of various models were built during Soviet times. Although Russia still had 150 copies in 1992, in 2019 only around 40 were still airworthy. Ukraine is said to have taken down a Tu-22M3 from the sky last late summer. There have recently been further reports of attacks on Russian aircraft.
Ukraine is amused by the Tu-22M3 crash: Video with Bob Dylan song
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense distributed a video via Twitter from the medium
United24Media
in which the crash can be seen from a different perspective. The sequence is accompanied by the song “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” by Bob Dylan, followed by the equally smug greeting “Have a 'great' last flight”.
Finally, two images of destroyed aircraft parts in a field are shown. In the first, dark smoke rises from the rubble; in the second, you can see the familiar red star on the wing, the Russian symbol of power. This is not the first time that Kiev has publicly expressed amusement at Moscow's major loss. This is likely to affect Putin all the more, whose army is apparently lacking a long-range radar system.
(mg)